Professional Cleaning of Plaque and Tartar

Despite maintaining appropriate oral hygiene at home, hardened dental plaque or tartar can develop on teeth, or teeth become stained due to coffee, cigarettes or consumption of coloured foods. It is unlikely that your toothbrush would be able to remove this kind of plaque. This is where we come in – our practice is equipped with various devices that are able to carefully and entirely remove stains and tartar.

Establishing that you need professional teeth cleaning is not difficult to do at home if you take a good look at your teeth in the mirror. The largest amount of tartar usually accumulates on the lingual surface of the mandibular incisors, the colour is significantly different than the colour of the tooth. Tartar is also rough to the touch, which can be felt with the tongue. The roughness remains even after teeth have been thoroughly brushed.

How are dental cleanings performed at the dentist’s office?

Our practice aims not only to remove the tartar but also to do everything in our power to make sure that tartar does not accumulate so quickly. This is why every patient’s teeth are cleaned in three phases.

First, we remove the rough plaque or tartar with an ultrasonic tartar remover.

A special sander is then used to remove fine tartar and stains from all outer surfaces of the teeth. The sander operates on the basis of very fine sand and water – together they have the strength to remove stains under pressure.

Finally, we polish the teeth with a fine paste, which restores the teeth their smooth and shiny surface. Tartar does not accumulate so easily on teeth which have been treated this way, and if it does, it is much easier to remove.

Why does tartar form?

Tartar is formed by the hardening of soft dental plaque. Plaque which is not removed in time is a prerequisite for the formation of tartar. Soft plaque begins to harden (calcify) 12 to 24 hours after it is formed. This is why it is essential to brush your teeth very thoroughly and to avoid skipping any tooth surfaces. Special attention must be dedicated to interdental space, which needs to be cleaned with dental floss or interdental brushes.

We strongly encourage you to try to clean your teeth as thoroughly as possible every day. We are also here to help you with advice on better oral hygiene techniques.